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NEW!!!
Midweek Vespers
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Message From the Pastor |
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Welcome! Rev. Dr. Paul Womack
Greetings All! Grace and peace to you from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
In such a fashion, Saint Paul
opened his letters to the various Christian congregations he wrote in their
dispersed locations across the then “known” world. He would offer, as I do,
with sincerity, hopes for gracious and kindness and peacefulness and health
and wholeness of heart and mind and spirit for those he knew and did not
know—but that did not matter, all were creations of God and those for whom
God’s redemptive efforts in Jesus were accomplished. While it seems obvious
to me that Paul, apparently when he preached and dictated his letters, could
indeed get caught up in the moment and I imagine sometimes his words ran
away from his head (you know, we may all have sometimes spoken before we
thought!). Anyway, I believe his heart was tender and his “conversion” from
persecuting the new Christians to becoming an apostle involved a shift from
frustration and irritation to graciousness and kindness and generosity of
spirit.
I was named after this
apostle, Paul. While James is the first name—from my mother’s father—Paul
came to me because of my father’s dependency on Paul’s writings, chiefly
Romans chapter 8, during World War II. So, what should you all call me? On
formal occasions, “Paul” is just fine. But as we become friends in the
spirit of the church, “Jimmy Paul” works very well. However, I digress:
Like Paul of old, I believe I
have a tender heart. Like Paul of old, I want very much to share “grace and
peace”. Like Paul of old, I know it comes not from me but from God’s own
work with me. Like Paul of old, I can be frustrated, irritated, and deeply
fearful of many things. Like Paul of old, sometimes words come before
thought, as I wrestle with those fears. Like Paul of old, I will need the
understanding and kindness of others just as I seek to offer understanding
and kindness.
I imagine I am not alone in
these characteristics and that we all share in them to some degree,
regardless of our name. But I do hope that over time we can come to know and
appreciate one another, respect our varied needs for care and purpose and
intimacy with God, and find it not only possible but an imperative because
“grace and peace” are so much ours that we call one another by this name,
“beloved”.
See you in the next few weeks
as we begin our new program year.
Paul Womack
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PRAYER CONCERNS
Brenda Awad, Anderson Family, Jeremy
Bernard, Cherry Family, Tina Cornell & Family, Arthur Earley , Barbara
Evans, Follansbee Family, Marilyn & Wayne Furman, Olive Holdridge, Juanita
Jackson, Roberta McKibbin, George Haffindon, Arch and Mary Moran, Marcie
McCreary, Lou Ann Newman, Lucille Piper, Amanda Rice, Mark Speck & his unit,
Mary Lou Trusso, Lyra Stephenson (surgery will be on 8/27/08)
Midweek Vespers, Joint Neighborhood
Project, Capital Project, Katrina Recovery /Chacocente Spiritual Growth,
Faithful Discipleship, Hurlbut Youth, Ashville Food Shelf, Literacy
Volunteers, Habitat for Humanity. Chautauqua County Rural Ministries, WNY
Conference Camps & Campus Ministry |
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